In the past week, the Republican veep has called several conservative commentators. In those conversations, he has expressed confidence about the Republican ticket’s chances, fielded questions, and asked for frank assessments.

Ryan has made the calls one by one from the trail. The private press talks, which are ongoing, have often been lengthy and candid.

Sources close to the Romney campaign tell National Review Online that Ryan has reached out to George F. Will, the Washington Post columnist; Paul Gigot, the editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page; and CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, among others.

After weeks of mounting criticism from conservatives, Ryan reportedly felt compelled to respond in a friendly way to the Beltway buzz.

Republicans familiar with the calls say Ryan’s tone has been positive and upbeat, but he has acknowledged that the campaign has made some missteps.

A source close to the Romney campaign says the calls simply reflect Ryan’s warm relationships with many conservative media figures.